1. Field of the Disclosure
A method and assembly for anchoring a segment of rebar to a mass.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Apparatuses and methods for anchoring segments of rebar into a mass are known in the art. A common application for such apparatuses and methods is in the construction industry, wherein the mass is a retaining wall of an excavation site used to reinforce structures such as bridges or roads, and the rebar is a soil nail used in combination with a plate disposed about and secured to the soil nail to reinforce the retaining wall.
An example of such an assembly and method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,819,388 to James P. McCallion. The assembly includes a segment of rebar for being disposed in a mass. A wedge extends about and along an axis and defines a hollow extending therethrough along the axis and is disposed about the rebar axially adjacent to the mass. A barrel extends about and along the axis and defines a bore being tapered extending therethrough along the axis and receiving the wedge. The assembly also includes a cap having a hexagonal shaped exterior and threaded interior for threadedly pushing the wedge axially into the barrel to drive the wedge radially inwardly toward the rebar to secure the wedge to the barrel and for closing the barrel to inhibit movement of the wedge out of the barrel. The method includes the steps of extending the segment of rebar axially into the mass, extending the bore of the barrel about the rebar, extending the hollow of the wedge about the rebar axially adjacent to the mass, and threadedly connecting the cap to the barrel to close the barrel to drive axially drive the wedge into the barrel and to inhibit movement of the wedge out of the barrel.
Such a method and apparatus suffers from certain drawbacks, as it is difficult for an operator to provide for a sufficient axial force of the cap against the wedge to adequately secure the wedge to the rebar such that the assembly can withstand forces exerted by the retaining wall over long periods of time, as the cap of such assemblies is typically driven by an operator with a wrench, which tends to provide for an inadequate amount of torque on the cap, and the threads of the cap are prone to stripping.